Fusible link fo sprinkler-heads.



DB P, BENNET. FUSIBLB LINK You SPRINKLER HEADS;

. zkPfilGTlTUNIILBD MAY 20, 1511-1.

Patented 0011.13, 1914..

q Gerarg @[e Rije/lf ga 'Z/ INVE/JTUR WITNESSES:

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cnpnun m: r. tonnes, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, Assmnou To HOLLAND srnmxtnn. I

- COMPANY, me, or new YORK, N. Y. I

FUSIBLE LINK FOR SPRINKLER-HEADS.

m n-sod Specification of Letters Petent.

Patented Oct. 13, 1914.

Application filed May 20, 1914. Serial No. 839,882.

To all whom it only concern Be it knownthet I, GERARD DE Pnrsrmz BENNET, citizen of the United States, residing at Brooklymin the State of New York, have invented a. new and useful Fusi ble Link for Sprinkler-Heads, of which the following is o. specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in r predejt egmined degree and adapted to be secured a frame between a water closure and means for applying pressure-to-the link;

and is a modification of the device disclosed in my application filed March 14,1914, and: serially numbered 82l65l, and is adapted to be used in connection With such sprinkler head as is illustrated therein. Heretofore in devices of a similar nature the parts have either been multiplied unnecessarily, or

" were not etlicicntly and compactly arranged,

or have been complicated and uncertain in their action besides being more or less diffi- .cult to adjust; and have been to a greater or, less degree liable to premature disintegration because of the creeping of the uniting medium under the strain of com-' these objections.

The objects of my improvement arm- First, to provide a simple, cheap, compact and reliable fusible linkpression, in my devices I have overcome yoke or "frame. Third, to eliminate from the complete sprinkler head all artificial springs or auxiliary devices for separating the component ports oat" the link. Fourth, to provide 'dium has sufiicie'ntly softenedto relea Second, to pro vide such it link as will be fully protected by and be entirely within the lines of the refer to like vlews.

, In the drawings Figure l is a side eleve- 1' tion of my improved link ready for-insertion in the sprinkler head. Fig. 2 isa-side elevation of the link, assembled, but before the solder is applied to unite the parts.

parts throughout the respective Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective viewslof Viirious parts of the link before assembly.

Fig. 5 is .9 side elevation, of the link showing its disintegration when the binding me- ,e the component parts. i V

Inthe figures,1 represents one of the members comprising 9. part of the link.

, 2 represents the other member, 3nis a shoulder on the member .Qogainst which the lower edge of the member 1 jubuts and on which it is supported, 4 is a shoulder 'or sent atthe end of the membeghl opposite to the part which abuts against 6 shoulder .3 and-Which is adapted to be engaged by a.

compressing screw in the sprinkler head frame; 5. is a knife edge'ouone end of the member 2 adapted to engagennd preferably to fit into a slot in the Water closure forming a part of the sprinkler frame (as the sprinkler trains and Water closure are well known devices and are particularly illustrated in my application nbovementioned they are not further illustrated or described herein). 6 is a shoulder or ledge depending from the top of the member 1 so as to form a lock as hereinafter described; 7 is clock plots fitting preferably in a: groove 8 in the memher 2 and projecting upward sufilciently to lie in the recess in the member. 1 jzformed by the shoulder It has been found that, for some purposes and on some occasions it is desireblethst the adjoining or contiguous, faces .ot the parts of the link be relatively smooth and fiat. The two contiguous faces 'are adapted to be secured together preferably by means of soft solder of such a. composition that it will melt at a comparativelylowpredetermined t'empierat-ure. It, however, ,the soft solder alone'be' relied upon to joingunliahold the component parts of the link in position cient, .as a sliding action under compression will take place, and the parts will seporute everlavithoutthe application of heat, there- .it hasjg-been found that that will be-insuflb fore I provide the boulder 3 against which I abut the member 1 by which means I prevent the sliding efiect while yet obtaining a structure which is easily separated into its component parts upon a suificient rise, of temperature. I

It will be further observed that by placing the knife edge on one side of the line of se aration of the parts, or the medial line 0 the link, I secure an unstable strut so soon as the binding medium is softened, so that the greater the compression of the sprinkler head screw, or the greater the pressure of the Water against the closure and hence against the engaging knife edge of the link, so much the greater is the leverage and somuch more sure is the resultingseparation of the parts. It will be seen therefore that as soon as the solder is melted or sufficiently softened, the members 1 and'2 being under a high degree of compression, as iswell understood. in the art, will, because of their shape and arrange ment relative to the-screw and closure to the sprinkler head, tend to part and spring asunder so as to invariably unseat the water closure, whereupon the usual operation of the sprinkler is performed. It "has been found however that when the compression is greatly increased as is the present practice,-even the provision of the shoulder 3 may be insufficient to insure stability of the strut until the temperature rises surliciently 1 to soften the solder,-I- therefore have providcd a locking device which insures secur ity from premature disintegration and yet permits operation at the proper time.

The lock plate 7 is soldered into the slot 8 so thatthe end which projects above the top of the-member 1 forms the short end of a'lever the 'fulcrum'ofwhich is at 9 Fig. 5 and the long arm is firmly held by the solder in the slot 8. lt'is evident that even if the pressure is sufficient to cause the solder uniting the faces of, the members 1 and 2 at 10 to creep or stretch,-yct so long as the lock plate 7 remains in place'in the slot 8 and behind the shoulder 6,disintegration of the link cannot take place,-and it is found that the binding effect of the solder on the long arm of the lock plate 7 in the slot 8 is amply suiiicient to maintain the plate in position, andconsequently the stability of the St1l1l),-Wl1ll a rise in temperature sulficient I to soften the solder between the members 1' and 2 at the faces 10 will also release the-- lock plate 7 from the groove 8 and thus per mit the collapse of the whole link as illustrated in Fig. 5 and result in the operation of thesprinkler.

it Will be understood that I do not limit myself to any particular shape or proportion or material, though I have illustrated herein What I consider to be the desirable embodiment of my invention. But

lVhat I claim is,-

1. A fusible link 'comprisinga plate of substantially the same length as Width, hil ing a knife edge at one end to one side of the medial line, a shoulder directly above said knife edge and parallel therewith, and a longitudinal recess in the outside face; a second member of substantially the same size provided with a knife edge at one end adapted to bear against the shoulder of the first member, a seat at the other end adapted to be engaged by a compressing member of a sprinkler head frame, and having a recess extending across the inside face; a locking lnernber adapted to fit into the longitudinal recess ofthe first member and having one end projecting into the recess in the second member, the contiguous faces of the three members being joined and the recesses and the intermediate spaces being filled with an easily fusible medium, substantially as dc scribed.

2. A fusible link comprising amember one end of which is adapted to engage a pipe closure and having a longitudinal recess in. its outside face; a second member of substantially the same size adapted to be supported by the first member and to be engaged by a sprinkler head frame, and having a portion overhanging the first member; a third member lying in the longitudinal. recess of the first member and engaging the overhanging portion of the second member; the first member being joined to the second member, and the third member to the first by an easily fusible medium, substantially as described.

3. A fusible link comprising a rigid member one end of which is adapted to engage a pipe closure and having a longitudinal recess in its outside face; a second rigid member of substantially the same size engaging the first member and adapted to be engaged by a sprinkler head frame, and having a portion overhanging the first member; a third member lying in the longitudinal recess of the first memberand projecting within the overhanging portion of the second member the first member being joined to the second member andthe third member to the first by an easily fusible medium which fills up 'theinterstices between the first and third members, and between the first member and the overhanging portion of the second mem Witnesses:

OLIvn E. Srmnnnr'r, Lnozmnn L. DE'rRUnr. 

